The Origins of the Cold War

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The Origins of the Cold War

The Cold War

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What we will learn today

What we will learn today:

1. What is a superpower?

2. What was the Cold War?

3. What were the long-term causes of the Cold War?


What do you think the Cold War was about?

Create your own rough diagram.

Cold War1945-1992


Wartime alliances

During World War II (1939–45) each of the major powers was part of an alliance.

1939Great Britain and France were allied against Nazi

Germany. The USSR had signed a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany.



1941The USA joins the war when Japan attacked Pearl

Harbor. The USSR joins the alliance with Great Britain and the USA.



19451. What made the USA and USSR become allies?

2. Why might the situation change after 1945?


What is a ‘superpower’?

A superpower is the term used to describe the most powerful countries. Before World War II there were a number of ‘superpowers’.

Britain, France and Germany were all European superpowers before 1945.

At the end of World War II, all these countries were in ruins or crippled by the long years of war.

The post-World War II world was to be dominated by two superpowers – the

USA and the USSR.


Differences between the USA and USSR

The USA was a capitalist country, whereas the USSR was a communist country. These countries had very different beliefs.

Capitalism

Communism

Where all factors of production (industry, business and agriculture) are owned by

private individuals or firms who run them for their own profit.

Where all factors of production (industry, business and agriculture) are owned by the

state for the good of everyone.


The different beliefs meant different forms of government.


Capitalism vs. communism


What was the Cold War?

The Cold War began after World War II and was over by 1992. But what was it?


Write:

Complete a paragraph explaining what you think the term mutual distrust means.

Discuss:How do you think mutual distrust could cause a conflict lasting nearly 50 years that could

have seen the destruction of the world?


Long-term causes of the Cold War

Mutual distrust between two very different countries was the key long-term cause of the Cold War. Why were both sides so suspicious of each other?

The USSR’s worries about the West

Russia had been invaded during World War I (1914), during its Civil War (1918) and during World War II (1941) – they wanted to stop this ever happening again.

Stalin, the leader of the USSR, felt that the West wanted to see communism destroyed. He thought that the West didn’t appreciate the Soviet sacrifices that helped defeat the Nazis in World War II.


Mutual distrust between two very different countries was the key long-term cause of the Cold War. Why were both sides so suspicious of each other?

The USA thought the USSR was determined to encourage communist revolutions in other countries, and was worried about communism spreading across the world. This was seen as a dangerous threat to the governments and economies in the West.

The USA ended its policy of isolationism (which they felt had helped Hitler come to power) and thus was determined to prevent what it saw as ‘dangerous dictatorships’ being created again.

The USA’s worries about communism


Why did the Cold War occur?

There were many reasons for the Cold War, and there are many different interpretations of the information.

Use the bullet points on the next slide to create a paragraph explaining why you think the Cold War occurred.


Stalin believed the West wanted to destroy communism.

The West believed Stalin was encouraging communist revolutions in the West, and was determined to take over.

Stalin believed Britain and the USA delayed opening a second front in World War II so that the Soviets would suffer greater casualties, and be left too weak to threaten the West after the war.

The size of the USSR made it a rival to the USA.

The USSR was communist, the USA was capitalist.

The USA didn’t tell the USSR they’d developed an atomic bomb.


Conclusions

Construct a paragraph explaining the long-term reasons why you think the Cold War occurred.

You could use some of the ideas below:

The two sides were only united when they had a common enemy – Nazi Germany.

Stalin believed the West wanted to destroy communism.

The West believed Stalin was encouraging communist revolutions in the West, and was determined to take over.

Stalin believed Britain and the USA delayed opening a second front in World War II so that the Soviets would suffer greater casualties, and eventually be destroyed.

The USSR was communist and the USA was capitalist.

Documents

The Origins of the Cold War